"Unbelievable" Inning Propels AU To Win

Dan Glevenyak blasted a pair of three-run home runs in the eighth inning and Damek Tomscha added a two-run shot as part of a 12-run inning in a 12-8 Auburn victory over Jacksonville State.

Jacksonville, Ala.—Down and very close to out trailing 8-0 through seven innings of play, Auburn got a pair of three-run homers from Dan Glevenyak and a two-run homer from Damek Tomscha, all in the eighth inning, as the Tigers came back to take down Jacksonville State 12-8 on Tuesday night.

Cullen Wacker went 4-5 and had two big hits in the inning as well to help Auburn to its biggest inning of the season in the comeback win.

The victory improves Auburn's overall record to 28-19 with another mid-week contest coming up on Wednesday night vs. Samford. Getting the win was huge for Coach John Pawlowski as it was his 500th career victory as a head coach. It came in a game when his team didn't play well, but one inning proved to be the difference.

"It was just a special, special night for us," Pawlowski says. "We were not a very good baseball team for a major part of the night, but fortunately for us these guys had the will to win. They just kept battling and grinding at-bat after at-bat. What an inning. I'll remember this inning for a long, long time."

At the plate Glevenyak's two home runs and six RBI led an offense that only scratched in one inning. Tomscha's home run was his third in three games while Wacker's four hits continues his torrid pace. Glevenyak says that the team just felt it all come together in the eighth inning and it was something special to be a part of.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked up and saw 12 runs in the eighth inning," Glevenyak says. "It was unbelievable to be a part of it. I just got a little more focused in the box and calmed myself down. I tried not to do too much and it worked out good for me."

Jacksonville State scored four runs in the third inning and didn't look back on the way to the big lead Tuesday night. Single runs in the fourth and fifth made it a 6-0 lead for the Gamecocks through five innings. Two more runs in the seventh and it looked like a long ride home for the Tigers, but the fireworks had not yet started.

Trailing 8-0 in the eighth inning, Auburn finally got the offense untracked as Wacker's second single of the game gave the Tigers some life. Continuing his hot streak, Garrett Cooper doubled off the center field wall to score Wacker and put the Tigers on the scoreboard. It was just the beginning of what would turn out to be the inning of the season for Pawlowski's club.

Pinch hitting for catcher Kody Ortman, Patrick Savage walked to bring Glevenyak to the plate. Struggling with his bat in recent weeks, hitting just over .200, Glevenyak got a pitch to handle and drove it over the left field wall for a three-run homer. Now trailing just 8-4, the Tigers were far from done.

Second baseman Jordan Ebert kept the rally going with a double to right field before Ryan Tella popped up for the first out of the inning to bring Tomscha to the plate. Extending his arms on a low fastball, Tomscha blasted his sixth home run of the season over the center field wall to cut the lead down to just two.

Following an error on a Blake Austin ground ball and a Hunter Kelley single, Wacker came back up for the second time in the inning and laced a double into the left field corner. Running on the crack of the bat, Kelley scored all the way from first to unbelievably tie the game at eight. Standing on second base, Wacker was running as Cooper blasted a ground ball off of the Jacksonville State third baseman. The ball bounced into left field to allow Wacker to score and put Auburn in front.

A walk to pinch-hitter J.D. Crowe put a pair of runners on base for Glevenyak's second at-bat of the inning. It would end just like the first as the shortstop got a pitch over the plate and mashed it to dead center field. The ball sailed over the fence for his second three-run homer of the inning to give the Tigers a 12-8 lead.

Trey Cochran-Gill game on in relief of Matt Schulz and finished off the win for Auburn with a pair of scoreless innings. Schulz picked up the win, allowing two runs on three hits in just one inning of work. Cochran-Gill struck out two and allowed two hits in two innings to pick up the save.

Starter Dillon Ortman allowed four earned runs in just two and one/third innings while Chase Williamson gave up two runs on three hits in two and two/thirds innings of relief. Daniel Koger also pitched one scoreless inning for the Tigers.

Auburn returns to action Wednesday night at 6 p.m. as the Tigers take on Samford at Plainsman Park.